


Devotion

by Neverever



Category: Avengers Assemble (Cartoon)
Genre: Established Relationship, Insecurity, M/M, Steve Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 07:15:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28467411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neverever/pseuds/Neverever
Summary: Steve worries that he hasn't been a good boyfriend for Tony.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 10
Kudos: 195
Collections: Lights on Park Ave





	Devotion

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Lightsonparkave's Round 16, Devotion

Natasha and Clint were hysterically laughing over something on the computer at the datacrux. “Come over here,” Clint said weakly, as he waved at Steve, while Natasha was doubled-over giggling.

“What’s so funny?” Steve asked, glancing down at the pictures on the screen. All he could see where various pictures of the Avengers. Not particularly flattering ones.

“Oh, it’s some Buzzfead article about the thirty funniest pictures of the team from this year -- like that one of Sam eating pavement during a fight with the Impossible Man,” Clint explained.

Natasha scrolled down to show the one of Clint holding three hot dogs while trying to kick one of Attuma’s Atlanteans. Steve grinned as he remembered how the team surprised on a team picnic fended off Atuma.

Then he saw a picture of Tony half-in-armor, half-out with Sam helping him to a quinjet. That was the fight with the Squadron Supreme, who had cut Steve and Tony off from the rest of the team. They had to fight like hell to get out of that trap. This picture had to be taken in the aftermath, while Steve was working with SHIELD on clean-up.

The caption, though, stung: “Iron Man after saving his life is left behind by Captain America. Does Cap know what Iron Man did for him?”

“Why is that funny?” Steve asked with a disapproving edge to his voice. 

Clint snorted. “It’s a running joke in the article. Does so-and-so Avenger know this or that. You have to read the whole thing to get it.”

“Right. I do a lot of things for Tony.”

“We know that, Cap, and that’s why we ask you to keep those things in the bedroom, behind closed doors,” Clint replied. He shot Steve a smirk.

The caption got under Steve’s skin like nothing had since he met Red Skull. But then he remembered handing Tony to Sam, and walking away. What kind of boyfriend was Steve anyway?

After that, Steve kept turning over and over in his head every time he let Tony down or wasn’t there for him. He picked up his dry cleaning and remembered when he didn’t want to go to a charity event with Tony. At the bakery picking up coffee and bagels, he recalled when he hadn’t picked Tony’s favorite bagels. With three days, Steve was deep in the depths of misery.

They were watching television, sitting on the large leather couch in their suite living room. Steve wasn’t completely happy to watch Star Trek -- he was more in a Fast and Furious mood -- but it was for Tony. Maybe that’s why Steve suddenly blurted out, “I’m a terrible boyfriend.”  
“Whoa there, I was just asking if you could hand over the popcorn,” Tony replied. He looked genuinely and deeply confused.

Steve froze. He had no idea where to but the need to flee felt very strong.

Tony turned off the television and sat up. “No television or snuggles until you spill it.” He poked Steve with his foot to emphasize his point.

“It’s just --” Steve struggled with the words. “I just haven’t been there for you like I should. Like that time that Sam took you back to the Tower when you were injured and I didn’t go with you.”

“What? That’s been like a dozen times.”

“No,” Steve breathed out, even more unhappy. “There was this article --”

“That’s why you’ve been hovering around like a helicopter? That you were afraid that I didn’t love you anymore because you personally didn’t see me home after a fight?”

For all his talents, abilities and skills, Steve didn’t have the words to explain to Tony that fear eating through his guts that he had failed Tony somehow, opening a path to a dark future in which Tony would leave him because of that failure.

Steve knew in his head that he was being ridiculous. But something had lodged itself in his brain and all he could think about is what if Tony thought that Steve was taking him for granted, what if he wasn’t showing how deeply and uttering in love he was with Tony … A thousand different what-ifs all stemming from Steve failing Tony. 

Tony gently put his hands on Steve’s face. “Take a deep breath, Steve. You gotta reset the brain and heart connection there.”

“Tony --”

“Shush.” Tony put his forehead on Steve’s. And then took Steve’s hand and put it on the arc reactor. “Just listen. Be quiet. Be in the moment.”

Steve did take a deep breath and the subtle thrumming of the reactor, Tony’s heartbeat under his fingers, gave him a bit of peace. “But --”

“And this is why they kicked you out of yoga class,” Tony replied fondly. “Okay, what’s this article?”

“Top Funniest Avengers pictures.”

Tony bit his lip. “I don’t see how you get from there to here.”

Steve pulled out his phone and showed Tony the picture. “Read the caption.”

“Ooo, that’s not funny.” Tony leaned back into the couch, tugging Steve along with him until Steve was laying across his chest, his head tucked under Tony’s chin. “Steve, I know you and know you have to work this stupid Internet thing out of that steel trap brain of yours. But you have never ever shown me anything but love. People are assholes if they can’t see it.”

Steve’s roiling mind soothed finally with the sound of Tony’s voice and warmth of his body. Tony ran his fingers through Steve’s hair. “Sooooo, while you were obsessed about not getting into the quinjet four months back -- and I told you it was okay to stay behind, by-the-way -- you didn’t think about what you did do when you got back home.”

“Huh?”

“You came back not long after Sam unloaded me in the medbay. You carefully cleaned my cuts and bruises, bandaged me up, listening to me bitch about the armor. You ordered take-out, you wrapped me up in warm blankets and watched a dumb dumb movie on television I wanted to see.”

“Um --”

“You have no idea how dumb that movie was.”

“I’d watch anything with you.”

“Steve, I know you love me, you’re there when it counts, you rub my feet and cut me off from coffee when I start to vibrate.” Tony kissed Steve’s forehead. “Cut yourself a break.”

“Tony --”

“That’s it for Feelings Hour. Back to movie.”

Steve ventured, “Um, could we watch Fast and the Furious instead?” He settled further into Tony’s arms and chest.

Tony squeezed Steve’s hand. “Yeah, I could go for some car chases.”


End file.
